When Death Hits You in Your Face, You Have to Listen": A Qualitative Investigation of Peer Bereavement Support Volunteers in Black American Communities.

Efforts to support grief in Black American communities are often under-recognized despite their potential to address negative mental health outcomes in this population. The aim of the current study was to qualitatively assess the community-level influence of bereavement support programs on predominantly Black communities in Baltimore, Maryland. Five focus groups (n = 23) were conducted with volunteers from a non-profit bereavement organization. Participants were queried about how their training may be sustainably applied as a community resource in Baltimore City. Thematic analysis from focus groups revealed three main themes: (1) enhancing feelings of belongingness fosters a sense of community cohesion, (2) use of bereavement support tools as a source of personal healing, and (3) applications of bereavement support in the community. Implications of our study support the widespread influence of peer-led bereavement support training to reduce the reverberating impact of personal and collective grief in Black American communities.

Web-based Survey Data Collection With Peer Support and Advocacy Organizations: Implications of Participatory Methods.

BACKGROUND: The 2012 National Survey of Peer-Run Organizations is one of the first to survey a nationally representative sample of mental health peer-run organizations, nonprofit venues for support and advocacy which are defined by people with psychiatric histories being in positions of authority and control. OBJECTIVES: This paper describes data collection methods and demonstrates how participatory strategies to involve people with psychiatric histories intersected with Internet research to achieve study aims. METHODS: People with psychiatric histories were involved in designing and implementing a web-based survey to collect data on peer-run organizations' operations and views on national policy. Participatory approaches were used throughout design, data collection analysis, and dissemination. CONCLUSIONS: The extensive involvement of people with psychiatric histories in project design and implementation were important strategies that contributed to this study's success.